Hermione Wonders
by TvGeek98
Summary: What does Hermione do when she begins to wonder about things that nobody really knows the answers to, and feels the need to dig deeper into both her own family history, and the history of magic? There's only one person to go to in situations like these, but will he have all the answers she is looking for? Set during first year.
1. Chapter 1

**Hermione Wonders**

A Harry Potter Story.

Chapter 1:

It was a cold, dark, silent night in winter; and Hermione Granger was lay in bed wondering. Wondering about a lot of things. Things that confused her. Things that intrigued her. Things which downright irritated her.

Although she had read many books, much more than that of your average eleven year old, there were some things that could not be found in books. Some things, which were maybe mentioned, but never fully explained, because nobody really had the answers.

This deeply annoyed Hermione. She thought that reading all they books in the library in record time would teach her everything she wanted to know about magic, but she soon learnt that this was certainly not the case.

At first she decided to try and forget about these things, as they were distracting her from her school work, and were causing her to achieve above average levels, rather than exceptional ones. However, this was proving more difficult by the day. It was getting to the point where she couldn't sleep, as she so wanted this information. (This is Hermione we're on about, after all!)

She decided that she couldn't hold it in any longer, she just had to know. She got out of bed, pulled on her dressing gown, and made her way out of the dormitory and into the common room, climbed out of the portrait hole, and made her way to Professor McGonagall's room.

'This is crazy.' She thought to herself. 'What am I playing at, waking up a teacher in the middle of the night to ask a few silly questions?' Her head told her that she'd get into trouble, and that it was an awful idea, that she should go and get back in bed right away and go to sleep; but somehow her legs continued to carry her right the way to McGonagall's office, and automatically, her fist knocked on the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

The door was opened by a very groggy Professor McGonagall, who looked like she hadn't slept in days.

'Feeling ill Miss Granger? Yes, a lot of the other Gryffindors have been coming to me with the same problem, looks like Slytherin have been jinxing food again.' McGonagall sighed. 'Come here, a quick wave of the wand should do the trick.' She went to get her wand from her bedside cabinet, when Hermione stopped her.

'No, Miss, it's not that, I feel fine. Sorry for disturbing you, it's just, well…..'

'You're confused.' McGonagall finished her sentence off. Hermione was astonished.

'How did you know?'

'Oh, I do not know what it is you are confused about, but you'll be surprised how many first years come knocking at my door at silly o'clock at night to inform me that they are confused about this that or the other.' Professor McGonagall paused for a moment. 'Now lets see, first year, muggle born….my best bet would be to say that you are wondering how you have managed to gain magical powers, when some people who are born into old wizarding families sometimes fail to inherit them?'

'Well, yes Miss, and-' Hermione began.

'Yes yes, I am sure you have about a thousand other questions to ask as well, Miss Granger, as you always do, but we've no time to dilly dally, got to get to the headmaster's office before he goes to bed!'

'Dumbledore….I'm not in trouble am I Miss!?' Hermione wailed. 'I'm sorry, I'll go back to bed I promise! I won't get out of bed in the night ever again!'

Professor McGonagall appeared shocked.

'Good gracious, do you really think you're getting into trouble for asking a few simple questions? It is natural for a muggle born wizard to want to know more, to feel out of place here, even. Who am I to judge you on what time you ask them?'

'Then why are we going to see Professor Dumble-' But Hermione was unable to finish her sentence as she was ushered along by McGonagall.

'Quick quick, no time to dilly dally now, do you want answers or not?'

'Of course Professor, sorry Professor.' Murmured Hermione with her head down, as her and Professor McGonagall silently made their way to the headmaster's office.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: 

'Chocolate Frog Cards.' Said McGonagall in a business like tone to the stone gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office, which leapt aside to reveal the moving, spiral stone staircase. Hermione was shocked, as she had never been to the Headmaster's office before. As she was very intelligent, it didn't take her long to realise that 'chocolate frog cards' was the password to get in, just like 'caput draconis' was the one required to enter Gryffindor tower.

The two of them stepped onto the spiral staircase and, rather than walking up it, they let it carry them up for them.

'This is just like an escalator in the Muggle world.' Hermione thought to herself. 'I wonder if wizards know that they're not the only people to have invented moving stairs?' She didn't have time to think for much longer, however, because they were soon at the top of the staircase and Professor McGonagall was knocking at the door.

It was swiftly opened by Professor Dumbledore, who failed to see Hermione because she was so small, and was hiding behind her head of house. It wasn't that she was scared of Dumbledore, it was just that she didn't want him to think that she'd done something bad before McGonagall had had the chance to explain.

'Ah, Minerva, what may I do for you at this fine hour?' Dumbledore asked her as she walked straight in through the door; without specifically being told that she may enter. Hermione followed.

'Well Albus, it is not so much what you can do for me, but what you can do for this young lady, here.' McGonagall stepped aside to reveal Hermione standing there behind her. Hermione was trembling, but when she saw Dumbledore's kind face smiling down on her, she began to relax a little.

'Oh yes, I completely forgot I had a little meeting with Miss Granger coming up sometime soon.' Dumbledore said, smiling.

'Y-y-you did?' Hermione stuttered, as she was unaware that such a meeting had been arranged.

'Why yes.' Dumbledore started. 'Oh, of course, Miss Granger here will probably not be aware that I was expecting her.' Hermione began to tremble again.

'Oh no dear.' Professor McGonagall chipped in. 'It's nothing to be frightened of, your headmaster here always knows when anybody needs to see him about anything.'

'But, I didn't specifically think _I need to see Dumbledore.'_ Hermione said, in almost a whisper, as she was so confused.

'Yes yes, but for months, you have wanted answers, have you not?' Replied Professor Dumbledore. 'A little bird told me that you are looking for answers, which no-one but myself can give.' He summoned Fawkes to come and sit on his hand. Fawkes flew over immediately and lovingly rubbed his head against Dumbledore's hand. 'Literally.' Finished Dumbledore, nodding his head towards the bird. Hermione understood what he was getting at and smiled an overly large, toothy grin, before sitting down in an armchair opposite Professor Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, remained standing.

'Right then, Miss Granger; What was it that you wished to ask me?'


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Hermione had asked him everything she wanted to, from why she, of all people, had been able to develop magical abilities, to why magic exists in the first place, which she hadn't been able to find an answer to, after reading practically every book in the library. Now, it was Dumbledore's turn to talk.

'Well well well, I believe Fawkes here was right. I am able to answer your questions, your first one at least.' Dumbledore paused for a minute, then continued. 'Let me tell you this, Miss Granger; you are in fact, half blood.' Hermione was astounded, none of her Parents, Grand Parents, or even Great Grand Parents were wizards, so what was it that Dumbledore meant? She opened her mouth to ask him, when he cut in ahead of her. 'No more questions, Miss Granger, I will answer everything in due course. If you still feel I have not explained properly, then you may tell me this when I have finished.' Hermione shut her mouth and continued to listen to Professor Dumbledore.

'Thankyou. Now, where was I? Oh yes, anyway, Miss Granger, as I said, you are half blood. Your great great great great GREAT Grandfather was a wizard.' Hermione opened her mouth, gobsmacked, and asked;

'Did you teach him?' before clapping her hand to her mouth as she remembered that she was not supposed to ask any more questions.

'Haha, young Hermione, I will forgive you for that one question, as it was perfectly reasonable of you to ask. And, as a matter of fact, no. I did not teach your five times Great Grandfather. No, I didn't teach him, but I knew him very well, seeing as I went to school with him.' Dumbledore saw the look on Hermione's puzzled face so began to explain further. 'He was a fair amount older than me. He was a prefect when I started first year. A Gryffindor prefect, to be precise. Wonderful wizard, he was. Very talented. But anyway, that's not the point. The point is that your Great Grandfather died after an experiment at the ministry went wrong. He worked there, you see. Of course, I was still at school, It was his first year at the ministry. He only had one child. A boy. Jack, I believe was him name. Jack was only six months old when your Great Grandfather died. He grew up with his muggle Mother, who, when Jack did not show any signs of developing magical ability, did not inform him of what his Father was, for fear that he would not believe her. He told him all about what a great man he was though, of course.' Dumbledore added, after seeing the look on Hermione's face. Her first thoughts when she heard about Jack not being told were that his Mum was just like the Dursleys.

'Anyway.' Dumbledore continued. 'Jack grew up not knowing what his Father was. However, just because he had failed to develop magical ability, it did not mean that the magic was not there. The magical gene is always passed on, even if it fails to show up.' Hermione thought for a moment.

'You mean he's a squib?'

'Was a squib, yes. He was completely unaware of the gene, and when he grew up to have children, they were all like him. Although they carried the gene, they possessed no magical ability. Six generations down the line, this gene has developed magical ability in you. No matter who you are, you see, if your ancestors have been witches or wizards, then you have the gene. And quite frankly, Miss Granger, most people have the gene, they just don't know it.'

'So, does that mean that anybody with the gene can learn to develop their magic, or not?' Hermione asked.

'Well, Miss Granger, you see, that comes into the answer for your next question….'


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

'So no one really knows?' Hermione said, confused, as Dumbledore answered her question of _where does magic come from?_.

'Correct.' Dumbledore told her. 'Nobody really knows where it comes from, or whether we can develop it from having only the gene or not. But….' He continued, now looking Hermione directly in the eye. 'That does not mean we will never know. You see, what we really need, is someone who cares about it enough, who _really_ wants to know, who really wants to find out, and is willing to work hard to find the answers, to do it for us.' Hermione knew, the moment that Dumbledore looked her directly in the eye and said that, what he wanted her to do. All sorts of thoughts flooded her mind: _How long should I wait before I start searching. Until I've finished school, at least. Where do I start, what should I do, what risks will I have to take? Will I be strong enough to see it through, or will I give up half way? _

Almost as though he had read her mind, Dumbledore called to her as she went to leave the room.

'Hermione.' She turned round and looked at him. '

'You're a Gryffindor for a reason.'


End file.
